Shiveluch volcano spews ash at 6 km above sea level

The eruption poses no danger to the population

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PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, May 25 (Itar-Tass) — The Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka has spewed an ash column to a height of up to 6 kilometres above sea level. The eruption poses no danger to the population, there have been no reports about the volcanic dust fallout in the nearby settlements, the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported on Friday.

According to the service, the ash spew was observed from the Klyuchi settlement (50 km from the volcano). The volcanic dust plume stretches west from the volcano. Thermal anomaly has been registered in the area of ··the active part of the giant mount, called Young Shiveluch.

Shiveluch is the northernmost active volcano in Kamchatka. It is located 450 kilometres northeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. According to data of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), high seismic activity continues on the volcano. On May 19 and 20, ash spews from its crater to a height of 8 to 9.5 kilometres above sea level were registered. The ash plume during these days stretched for over 410 kilometres southwest of the volcano.

According to the KVERT classification, Shiveluch has been given the ‘orange’ aviation colour code. It warns about the possible spews of ash from its crater to a height of more than 10 kilometres above sea level. Volcanic gases and ash particles can present danger to engines of aircraft flying on domestic and international air routes.

Shiveluch’s eruptions are explosive. In 1864 and 1964, bursts of the volcano’s activity were recorded that were classified by specialists as catastrophic. Young Shiveluch has been active from September 1980, experts are permanently monitoring the volcano.